Change-speed gear



Feb. 23 i932- T. P. THQMSEN AL CHANGE SPEED GEAR Filed Feb. 7, 1951 2 sheetsheet 2 @ma @we we -f .thetwo ball rims.

Patented Feb. 23,V 1932 .UNITED v-s'raras Parent. orifice THOMAS vIIEEIIIER THOMSEN ANI) ANTQN VALDEMAR THOMSEN, 0F KASTRUR DENMARK CHANGE-SPEED GEAR Application filed February '7, 1931, Serial No.

It is known to transmitrotation from one of two coaxially mounted shafts i (main shafts) to the other by means of ball rims the balls of which may roll on surfaces or races partly stationary, partly forming parts of plates on the twomain shafts, and it is also Vknown to vary the rotary speed of the two main shafts or to reverse the rotation by making the balls of the said ball rims rotatable on shafts, the positions of which may bevaried.

The present invention relates to a change `speed gear of the said type and consists esf cution of the said change speed gear which is provided with two ball y rims arranged in parallel planes perpendicular tov the axis of the gear.` v y Figjl is an axial section of one form of a change speed gear according to the invention. Figs. 2 and 3 two sections onthe lines II-II and III-III respectively, seen in the direction of the arrows and with the balls withdrawn and .y

Fig; 4 an axial section of a modification. In the form'shown in Figs. 13 the driving shaft 1 and the driven shaft 4 are mounted in a casing2. The drivenshaft 4 has a cylindrical head a having provided on its circular edges races Z9 for the balls 11. 12 and 12a are the stationary races for the balls V11 the third support of which is formed by the inner faces c of two rings el each encircling one of The ball shafts 10 are mounted with one end in. radial slots 31 in flanges` f on the ends. kof a tubularbody g idly rotating with relation to the head a, toa ring k2' provided with the race 12, and to an annular flangek secured to the casing 2 and provided with the ball 514,263and in Denmark February 19, 1330.

race 12a. The tubularfbody g has-openings m for the balls 11 and a partition n for rigidly p connecting the body g to theshaft 1.

The'other end vofeach of the shafts 10 is`v` i mounted in a recess 32 of a ring p rotatable on thel body g and guided by a` cam g1 provided on the body g and engaging av groove in the ring. When the ring p is rotated with relation to the body g the shafts'lOlying normally in parallel planes will be turned out of these planes.

'As stated above the body g is rigidlyrconnected to the driving shaft 1 and whenl the said turning out of the shafts 10 is going tov take place the ring p must lbe' rotated with relation to the body g. To this effect the ring p is providedv witharms g which for clearness sake are shown in the drawings in the formof thin angular rods led through slots r Vin the body g and carrying shoes s sliding in inclined grooves tin the circumference of a plate having an elongated hub u reciprocating on the shaft 1 but being keyed on the shaft 1'so as to followvitsrotation. lVhen the hub u is displaced onv the shaft 1 the shoes s will be laterally displaced sliding inthe inclined grooves t and-the arms grsecured to the shoes will turn the ring p the shafts `10 being thereby` turned out of the axial plane through the centres of the balls 11. Thereupon the vshafts 10 will quickly return to the said axial planes in a manner known per se but they will now take up another angular vposition with relation to the v`axis than before the displacement of the hub.

^ The ring k2 with the race 12 is mounted on 'the' hub 2a of the driven shaft f4 inside'the `casing 2 and may be displaced. on the said hub.

By Vdisplacing the ring 702 to the right l(in Fig. 1) the pressure of the balls on the race b and The circular races 12 and 12a are spaced `therebyon the driven shaft may be increased. Y

uniformly apart from the axis of the change VVspeed gear. The twol ball rims 1 are symmetrically'mounted with relation to a transverse plane through the gear and as the head a carries thetwo races Y) for the balls the op# posing axial side pressures produced by the ball rims will equalize one another. The outwardly directed axial side pressures are taken up by the stationary races l2 and 12a, and by using two or another suitable even number of ball rims mounted as described it will be possible to avoid the use of ball bearings for taking up the side pressures as will.

also appear from the drawings.

During rotation the centrifugal powerV will force the 'balls l1 outwardly their pres-` sure against the ring Z thereby increasing considerably and in a direct ratio to the squareof tliespeed of rotation. "fifhisVpr1es-A sure will, however, be totally absorbed by the idly rotating rings d lying in planesperpendicular to the axisof the change speed gear, and thereforeV the bring about any dihculties. j

lf-.Rotationof. the shaft v1 is transmitted through the vbody n, g, f, theA shafts l0, the

balls 11 andthe head ir/tothe shaft han-d by suitable adjustment of the hub u on' the shaft -1 the desired gear ratio of the two shafts as to s peedand direction of rotation maybe obtained'in anianner known perse.V

T'Vith the .for-in shown in Fig. 4 the driven shaft i Vcarries a head 35 of T-shaped crosssection and provided with the races b. The.

body g is rigidly connected .to the driving shaft 1 and rotatably encircling the fiange of thehead .35. 'In this case the body g is in the form of a plate and provided with an ann'ular flange g2 projecting round the vfor the flangeof the head and engaging under the same..y lllhe plate-shaped portion of the body g is provided with recesses 32 for one end of the shafts 10 appertaining to the right ball rim, whereas theV corresponding recesses 32 left ballprimpare provided in the .flange g2.

` Encircl'ing the body g', is a hollow cyline drical body z, 'with inwardly .projecting flanges lil provided withA the radial slots 3l. vvvThe circular races b and `l2, l2agare pro- "vided at' the side of the ballsk lloppo'siteito the axis'of the'gearbut 'at a uniform distance therefrom, and at the side facing the axis .the 'balls bear` against idly rotating rings Z1 having each a concave outer surface.

The balls l1 ofthe two ball riniswill by action ofthe. centrifugal power Vbe .pressed against the races l2, 12a and b increasing the said pressure which is 'a .useful pressure.

Y 'With this form it is not necessaryvto tighten 4 are led freely through the ring -{Rotation of the body 7i, it., vwith relation to the body g, g2 taires place in a lsimilar,

imanner as'with the first [mentionedl embodipressure will not nient. Mounted on the shaft 1 is a displaceable hub a carrying a circular plate Withinclined grooves 17 engaging with inwardly rWhen the hub u is displaced the body h, h1 will be rotated with relation to the body g, g2g the shafts l() being thereby turned out projecting teeth 30 on one of the flanges h1.

yofthe aXial'pla-ne pivoting onthe centres of the bans. i

Rotation of the driving shaft lis transmittedthroughthebodyg, ghthe shafts i0,

thevballs l1 and the body 35 to the driven shaft 4.

Y Inorde-r to assemble the casing 2 and the various members mounted' therein with flanges the said members are assembled by suitably rigidlyinterconnected parts.

.l/VeclaimfA` ,a f1'. A changespeedf'geai"comprising'a drivfing. shaft (1),-fandfajy -3o-axially, disposed drivenV shaft v(4), means' providing av pair of axially spaced, stationaryib'all racefsur'- faces. (l2 and `12@)1syinme'tr'ically Vdisposed with respect to Ithe airesofsa'id shafts, means fixedly connected Y'with one of'said Shafts `.providing apair of ball race' surfaces b) v adapted to cooperate withthel'fixe'd ball racev surfaces, apair of rings (d, aiordi,I`cZ1)'fpr-o` V'vidinga pair of ballra'ce surfaces (c, c), all

of the `vsaid ball race surfaces {forni-ing` a pair of axially spacedfball races,"aA pair' ofV diametrically opposed balls (11) inleach'jball race, shafts (10:)"up`on `which said balls are ,mounted 'and about the axes lof n'rhich;1 "balls are `rotatable, means drivenz by sald `driving shaft to," revolve the. balls` aboutfthe axis of the driving' and'driven shaft, m'eans 4adj acent eachkball race to engage shafts v(10') to determine fthe angular'relation" thereof *toY the axis'of tl'iedrivingand driven shafts [and `means to vary said angular relation.'

2. A A changeV speed gear,4V according to claim 1` in which th-e vmeans adjacent the ball race to engage theends .of shafts A(510)co`niprises plates (f and 10,01) "g, g1' and L-i) lo ne of saidplates 'being rigidly connectediwithj 'claim' 1 in which the means adjacent theball raceto engage the ends of shafts (lOj'com- .prise paies (f .anda @ma mi 1v1-)Lone 'of said. plates being rigidly Aconnected' with theY driving shaft and in `which twoV ofthe ball racesurfaes (12in-nd b Aor lQaand b) Aof each ballj'rac'e arejequally" spaced from the'aXisof the driving'and driven Vshaft but the Ythird surface "of r`each ball 'race is radially 'spaced from tlieother surfaces thereof. f 5f 4. A change* speedV gear, according..v to claiml in which vthe'means'aldj acent the .ball

' race toengage the ends of sliaftsMl)l 'coni'- prises plates' (f. and Ip), or gfgfga'nd ftJone lof said .plates being rigidly connected with th-e driving-shaftwan'd in which two of. the

ball race surfaces (12 and b 01312 and b) of l each ball race are equally spaced from the axis of the driving and driven shaft but the third surface (o) of each ball race is radially spaced from the other surfaces thereof and in which the ball races are provided With a number of pairs of oppositely and symmetrically disposed balls, the means providing a pair of ball race surfaces (b, Z7) are provided in pairs and ormedon the same body, a casing, the ball race surfaces (12, 12a) being stationary in the easing, whereby axial side pressure of the balls is eliminated.

In testimonyVV whereof We aix our signatures.

THOMAS PETER THOMSEN.

VANTON VALDEMAR THOMSEN. v 

